Not quite finished but very very close

It has been over two months since my last post.  I haven’t given up on my blog.  I just needed to put it down for a moment.  You see, I have been writing my thesis.  After hours and hours of typing about the ATP synthase, I just didn’t have the energy to write here.   Also, I felt guilty.  If I had time to write a blog, I obviously should be typing my thesis.  Well, that stage is nearing completion.  I handed out my thesis to my committee today.  That means they have three weeks to review it.  Leaving me one week to make corrections and then defend.  So, my Christmas gift will be the completion of six years of grad school. 

Despite focusing on my thesis, that did not mean my life has slowed down any.  Oh no, that would be too easy.  Where as most people would put down research to write, I just kept on going.  And I started my new position at Invitrogen.  Oh and there is this little run through the parks I plan on doing in January that I have been training for.  But for those of you who know and love me, this is situation normal and the only way I know how to do it. 

The bad news, I am behind in training for long distance.  But I knew that would be the case.  Oh well, I guess I will not make my 5h 30 minute goal.  The good news, I am running the short distances pretty fast for me.  3 miles yesterday in 27 minutes with my planned race tactics of walking for 2 minutes after every eight.  I felt like I could do more.  So the fitness is there, perhaps not the endurance.  So I believe at this moment I am fit enough to finish.  Just not without significant pain and time.  I pray that I will be able to train enough to remove the pain.  I could care less about time.  I’ll run faster at the next one in 2012.  This race wasn’t ever about time.  It was about a celebration of life.  It was my way to celebrate finishing Grad school.  I know sick, “So Paul, you just completed six years of the most grueling school work known to man. What do you plan next?” Oh run 26.2 miles.  But even more than a celebration of my life moving forward, it became more.  Stacey and I decided to raise money for pediatric cancer research.  We did it, we raised over 500.00 for Fred’s team.  They get that money whether I finish or not, so in  terms of that, I have already one the race, now I just have to run it.

The big joke around here is that I will not know what to  do with all of my time once I finish my thesis.  But the fact is I still will be in the lab trying to get what I need for the paper.  So I wont slow down untill that is out.  Plus it is that time of year.  We have the big Thanksgiving Dinner with Wally Duff.  And of course, Pilgrimage set up.  Also on the plate is Thanksgiving here and Christmas with my parents.  So I am sure I will manage to stay busy at least through January.

AJ has moved up to preschool.  That’s right, AJ entered school before I could finish.  I couldn’t make that goal, but I came close.  He is now in the three-year old room at Doodle Bugs.  It’s tough, he isn’t the Big Boy of the room anymore.  He is playing catch up with kids going on four.   But he is adjusting well and thriving.  Same mold as always for AJ.  Watch carefully, mimic, practice, take over and start directing everyone how to do it “right”.  He is  such a leader mentality.  Can’t follow for anything.   And he has to do everything.  He sometimes tries to do two and three things at time.   Never sits still, unless of course, Mickey Mouse is on TV.  I wonder where he gets this idea that you have to do everything rather than just one or two things.

Pray for Stacey, she has a foot injury.  And pray for me, I am getting a cold.

August reveiw

August was a very busy month.  I have been working two jobs for about a month now.  It’s stressful on me and my family and I am looking forward to when I am done writing this thesis and can concentrate on my new career at Life tech.  In the mean time I will quite literally just keep running.  But not nearly as much as I would like. That’s right, taking two positions at the same time has killed my time for running.  With only 27 miles logged this month I feel sluggish and tired.  I can say I only had one great week (13 miles with a 5.25 mile long run).

I have decided that this Disney Marathon is for Fred’s team.  Fred’s team was created between Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Fred Lebow, creator of the NYC marathon.  The focus of Fred’s Team is to raise money for pediatric cancer research.  Stacey has decided to help by dedicating her race to that cause as well.  It was a hard decision because she originally wanted to run for Team in Training.  But the 3800.00 fund raising minimum for TNT was a little steeper than we could commit to this year.  You can visit our site at

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=40837&event_id=122

in order to donate if you wish.  We are running in honor of Liam Witt.  He is a wonderful child we only know through his mothers blot at www.princeliamthebrave.com. You will be amazed at this child’s strength and courage.

In other news, AJ is finally starting to enter those last stages of potty training where he will poo on the potty.  Just not real regularly.  We hope these past few days of willingness is the break through he needs.  Taking a page from my Dad, we keep explaining to him that it is easier then hiding to do his business.   He knows what he is suppose to do, and seems to want to, just hasn’t quite gotten there yet.  I keep telling myself that he is only 2 and 3/4s but I was hoping he would be trained before moving to the three year old room.

The pool came down this labor day weekend.  I am hoping to clean and pack it away tomorrow for winter.  I love that little pool, but only got to use it 4 times this summer.  Between time and terrible weather (mostly weather, water never got out of the 60’s most days), I just didn’t get to use it as much as I hoped.  AJ did finally learn to like it though.  He liked hanging off the side and kicking furiously.  Next year we are definitely going to use it more.

One thing that got a lot of use this summer is the slide and swings.  Now, is that suppose to be stored for the winter too?  It is metal, and I never remember anyone in my family taking down that type when we were kids, but the slide is plastic and the swings are plastic.  He could still use it this winter when he plays outside.  I guess I will have to research that, perhaps tarping it would be best, at least boxing in the slide to keep the snow from crushing it.

Race Training

July Running and this last week

It was a lousy week to run. It rained every day which meant I only ran three times for 8 miles.  I did 1 on Monday 2 on Wednesday and 5 today.  I think I needed the rest anyway.  The last four runs were horrible.  But today the 5 miles felt smooth, not fast (took me an hour) but it felt comfortable.  I planned 9 miles for the week anyway so it isn’t that bad.  Just wanted most of the running earlier in the week which did not happen.  I meant to go into this weekend only needing 4 miles rather than five.

For the month I managed 40.8 miles.  I am very excited about this now that the marathon is coming.  I am averaging ten mile weeks.  My training schedule will be posted soon for race.

Lance and Liam

I have never been so impressed by a human being as I am with Lance Armstrong.  Some may say that he is a doper and a cheat, but he has never tested positive and know one is as tested as he is.  Consider this.  He comes back from Cancer to win 7 Tours in a row.  He doesn’t use that time to make just make a ton of money, and trust me he did.  He used all of that fame all of it and devoted it to fighting cancer with the Livestrong foundation.  I don’t wear a yellow bracelet but I know that this foundation is amazing all because of a Cancer survivor and his bike.  Now he decides to get off that bike.  He still fights for cancer but he isn’t in the news as much.  We see him run marathons for his foundation and try to get on as much programs as possible to get the word out.  But it becomes almost cliche, like a fad.  Faced with dwindling interest he makes a choice.  He gets back on that damn bike.  If he is to be believed, and there is no reason not to, he does it for one reason.  To get people back in the game.  To let them know the fight isn’t over. 

He breaks his collar bone in March.  Can’t race, can’t train.  Yet he still gets back in time and despite it all races the Tour to an amazing third place after 3 and a half years off.  I swear if he had not broken the bone he probably would have made a better run for first.  But its about what Cancer.

There is one more person who is so impressive to me.  He is five years old.  He has neuroblastoma.  Its an evil evil evil disease.  They found it when he was the same age that AJ is right now.  This kid fights harder then most adults could ever dream of.  Yet still remains a sweet little boy. His name is Liam and yesterday he had to endure yet another surgery.  He will have more chemo and more antibody treatments and more assaults on his little body.  And even when it is over, it will not be over.  The threat of more cancer will always hang over this young child.  The affects of years of treatments on his development will begin to make themselves known.  But it wont matter because his parents will fight for  him every step of the way.  Go the their blog.  It’s in the blog scroll under Prince Liam the Brave.

Walt Disney World Marathon 2010

There are times in our lives when God is very good to us.  This is one of those times.  All of you may know by now but just in case you didn’t I have a position with Life Technologies (Invitrogen).  This is great great news.  Even better because of the start date, my boss is allowing me to work nights at UB to finish my degree.  Best yet, my new boss at Invitrogen thinks its a great idea for me to take off some time and run the Walt Disney World Marathon.

Tonight we signed up.  We are doing it.  EVEN BETTER our friend Laurie will be with us again to run the full marathon as well.  Perhaps with her fiancee, that’s right she is engaged WOO HOO, as well.  It will be awesome.

I feel like this is a good year for a marathon.  With the completion of my degree I will have a good amount of time for solid training.  Also, I am currently managing 10-13 miles a week on average which is much better than the last time I trained.  I have squared away some of the small issues with my feet.  My running is more consistent and faster than it has been in months.  And I am slowly seeing more and more gains. March 20 miles, April 25 miles, May ~30, June ~35 would have been more, July I am at 40 and may get to 45 if all goes well.

I have a good plan that gives me a couple of 20 mile runs, something I couldn’t accomplish the last two training iterations and gas me top off at 40 mile weeks, again this would be a new high.  I have over 20 weeks.  I did not increase by more than 10% for each week of training in the plan.  I made sure I had rest days and easy run days as well as speed work.

I feel like I did for the first marathon, excited about the training.  Last one I dreaded the training because I was just too busy with AJ and Grad School.  It really is a blessing to run this race, so much had to happen so that we could and it all did.  Lots of people’s prayers have gone into this and I am very very appreciative.  It is so important to me to use this job to honor the blessing God has given us.  So the training will mean a little more for that reason too.  Also, either Stacey or I will be running for Team in Training.  Not sure which one of us yet.  So we will be raising money for Leukemia research.  If we are going to run all that way, we might as well do it and raise some money too.  It will probably be Stacey.  If it isn’t me, then I will probably try to raise money for Fred’s team that supports cancer research at Slone-Kittering cancer center in NYC.

Week in review

My legs feel beat lately.  Although I had some decent runs lately, I mostly feel lathargic.  I know this is because of the increased hours in the lab.  I will be keeping all of my runs at 2 miles with  hopefully more runs in the coming weeks do to working two jobs rather than my normal one job.  That’s right, today is the first day at Invitrogen and the first day of working nights in the lab at UB so that I can finish up.

Last week:

Tuesday: 1.7 miles of intervals

Wednesday: .6 miles cut short by the need to find a bathroom

Thursday 4 miles in 38:30 with a half mile cool down best day running

Saturday: 1.75 walk with Heather

Sunday: 3.5 miles very slow

twelve miles total with 10 of them running.  Sunday the legs were shot, this morning I was dragging too.  Well, I better get ready for work.

Last minute Potter – spoilers

Last night Lidia got home early so Stacey and I took off to see HP6.  It wasn’t a very good Potter.   Stop reading now if you don’t want details.

Things I liked about the movie:

1. Good one liners. “So have you and Ginny done it yet…”, “Why is it that when ever there is trouble you three are always there?  Ron: I have been trying to figure that out for the last six years.” “But I am the chosen one…ow…kidding, just kidding.”

2. The few memories shown were good.

3. Entertained despite being totally inaccurate.

Things I disliked (much longer list):

1. The burrow was not attacked and burned down.

2. Harry did not try to get into the Slug club, nor did A.D. suggest he should.

3. No mention of Neville and the prophecy.

4. No Neville really at all, same with Luna.

5. No fight at that end with the DA taking Felix to fight off death eaters.

6. Death scene of AD totally redone and bad.

7. Not enough magic at MAGIC school.

8. To much goofy love stuff.

9. Year 6 tells the tale of Tom Riddle becoming Voldemort and sets up the crusade to find the Horcruxes, this was largely ignored and incomplete. No Marvolo, no mother… we are meant to understand how he came to evil but never learn any of it.

10. Ginny and Harry relationship completely undeveloped AND she never took him to the RoR to dispose of the book like it was some sort of addiction.

11. We never saw them actually in class except a little potions.

It was written as though the screen writer didn’t know what was really important to learn in year six and it was done that suggested that everyone was tired of doing these movies and would actually rather not.  The next movies will have to be done with Harry not knowing anything about the Hufflepuff cup, the possibility that TR hid something in Hogwarts, or the snake being a horcrux.  Way to many fundamental changes in the story line and omissions that are important for a quality seventh year, which is assumed to be the goal since they are splitting it into two movies.  I feel as though the seventh book came out which finishes the story and now the movie guys are mailing it in so that they can get to the last two movies.  I hope that means that they are planning on doing a good job.  If the fifth and sixth movie are any indication I doubt it.

The Tail of two toes

Last month I lost an entire week to blisters between my pinky toe and the piggy that had none.  Well, they came back, but now on both feet.  Also, I was feeling a lot of pain in the outsides of my foot as I ran.  That led to a week of 14 miles to the next week being 9.5.  I was determined not to lose another week of running so I consulted the fdip running group.  I got a lot of great advice that ultimately led to the decision that the NB769s did not have a large enough toe box, and I needed better socks. 

So I went back to Fleet Feet on the urging of Charlie from javarunner.com.  I got the store owner, Dan, who did a great job fitting me to a pair of Brooks Adrenalines.  I love them.  I did 3.25 in them at the end of last week with no pain, no blisters either.  I also got a pair of injinji socks.  These things are weird, but I have to say I like them.  They are like gloves for feet. 

So last week, i got 9.45 in total.  Not bad, but under my goal of trying to keep double digits per week in July.  This week I only have 1.7 so far, but it was intervals this morning.  In very cold 43 degrees.  We have been really cool here, highs in the 70s.  Don’t get me wrong I like cool weather but this is just weird to need a sweatshirt to run in when it is July.  Plus it makes my throat hurt as I run, the main reason I hit the tread mill during the winter.  Anyway, this morning was four .2 mile intervals that took 1:30 each.  I then ran .1 mile between each that took 1:30 as well.  I never can tell with intervals, I always feel like I am dying in the speed and slacking in the rest.  I need to get an actual interval plan to follow rather than making it up as I go.  Speed work for me is decided on the following, 1. crap I don’t have time to run 3 miles, 2. crap, I only have time for a a about 1.5 miles, 3. crap, I haven’t done speed work in a month. 4. crap, Brian has been doing speed work again and I really need to do that, 5. crap, its cold out here and I don’t like it, 6. crap, its hot out here and I don’t like it, 7. crap, its wet out here and I don’t like it, 8. crap, I gotta use a bathroom that is a mile away.

Aside: There is a new show called dance my a** off.  I love Biggest Loser but think this show is stupid.  Anyway, I wouldn’t doubt that the people will lose weight.  Last Saturday we went to a  wedding, lots of dancing, lots of fun, man I was sore the next day.

14 miles

I had a great running week.  Started off with three days at three miles each, then tapered off as the week went on with a couple of more runs of 3 and 2 miles each.  14 miles total.  I am really happy that it all worked out.  I also did 50 of my 100 push ups.  One of the runs was through the woods with my buddy Sean.  It was a nice run but hard to determine the exact distance.  We were out for 45 miles at Seans pace so it should be about 3.5 miles.  Still it was wicked tough since I am not use to trail running.  I loved it though.

Monday 3 miles – super tough run, just ached through it at 33 minutes.  Legs just hurt.

Tuesday 3 miles – felt a lot better 29:30

Wednesday 3. 5 – Trail run 45 minutes, I know it wasn’t four but it wasn’t three either so I called it 3.5, 10 push ups

Friday 3 with Stacey in the morning.  1.5 while pulling AJ in the afternoon. 10 push ups

Saturday 2 mile walk with Heather

Sunday 30 push ups